Uncommon Boy Names

Old-school Italian names that shortens a wide range of longer names, making it feel much more popular than it is on its own.

Albin is a modern form of the ancient Roman Albinus or Albus, meaning white or bright. There was a Saint Albinus who was also known as Aubin. In the contemporary world, Albin is popular in Sweden and ripe for export as a simple, unusual name with deep history.

The name of a companion of the prophet Muhammad who became the first person to call Muslims to prayer. Bilal is well-used in the US.

Unlikely to catch on in the Anglophone world, where parent name Ludwig still conjures up images of Beethoven. But Ludvig actually ranks among the top boy names in Norway and Sweden, while German form Ludwig ranks among the Top 100 boy names in Germany and Ludovico is cool in Italty.

The Dutch equivalent of Walt makes the Top 100 in Belgium, where Flemish parents love short, sweet names.

The visibility of actor Wilmer (That 70s Show) Valderrama has highlighted this name, but it's not likely to spread because of its similarity to the feminine (and dated) Wilma.

Malte began as a short form of the now-obsolete Ancient Germanic name Helmold. Helmold has gone extinct, but Malte has survived and is now enjoying a popularity resurgence in Germany and Sweden.

Preferable to its parent name, Arnoud, in the Netherlands.

As a form of Yochanan, Yahya is an Islamic name that honors the prophet John the Baptist. A new entry to the US Top 1000 in 2015, it's a widely used choice in Italy and in England and Wales.

This name was on the U.S. Top 1000 in the early 20th century, when recent immigrants frequently chose native names that have since died out for American babies. But if you're of Finnish ancestry, you may want to consider reviving this one with a positive meaning.

As you may surmise from its origins as a short form for Constantijn and Augustijn, Stijn rhymes with nine and fine, though most English-speakers wouldn't guess that. A popular name in the Netherlands that's obscure elsewhere, for reasons undoubtedly connected to its spelling and pronunciation issues.

Russian, Belarusian, Romanian and Bulgarian form of Andrew

For those who can't bear to use a Kardashian name, perhaps the translation Nohr might be an option. Nohr is currently in Denmark's Top 50 and so is one of those Danish names prime to travel to the wider world.

The first name of famed designer Balenciaga, was also the birth name of Christopher Columbus--aka Cristobal Colon. A name still well used in the Hispanic community.

The traditional German spelling of this name, used by Goethe, Bach and many other luminaries.

If you're looking for a Euro-chic alternative to Max, Mats is a strong possibility. It's a fading classic in Norway, but is popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, where short names are the height of style.

Johannes never caught on in the US, but popular European short form Hannes may be more accessible.

It originated as a nickname for Lodewijk, but now Lowie is more popular as-is, even ranking in the Top 100 in Belgium.